Taco John’s Tests Nontraditional Formats

Taco John’s outlined its goals for 2026 in a Feb. 24 release and among them was leaning into nontraditional formats to grow its footprint.

Specifically, the Mexican QSR brand aims to test locations in convenience stores, travel centers, airports and other high-traffic venues. It says the strategy will help it gain ground in high-demand locations with lower capital investment while complementing its traditional development pipeline.

Along with refining and scaling the nontraditional development model, the brand says its key priorities for 2026 include “value-engineering the traditional restaurant model to improve capital efficiency, expanding tools and systems that enable data-driven decision-making and supporting thoughtful reinvestment and succession planning across the system.”

Taco John’s operates 325-plus units in 21 states and points to the Upper Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions as areas for future growth.

Roti Modern Mediterranean marks another brand testing nontraditional formats. It recently opened its first ghost kitchen, located near its Atlanta headquarters.